There's been a DIY boom since the beginning of the pandemic - and some people fear it may lead to a surge in deaths from a silent killer.
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Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia President Barry Robson joined the South Coast Labour Council on Wednesday to mark National Asbestos Awareness Week.
He said many home-renovation enthusiasts were gambling with their lives.
"Any house built before 1990 contains asbestos," Mr Robson said.
"With the number of old miner's and fisherman's cottages in the region locally that number may be much higher.
"TV shows like The Block don't show it, but you must have a professional check the property for asbestos before you begin to renovate.
"Sanding, drilling or even using a high-pressure gurney that breaks down the bonding agent all release the fibres.
"Every year in Australia there are an estimated 4,000 deaths from past exposure to asbestos, one of the highest death rates in the world.
"People working on homes built before 1990 can stay safe if they know where asbestos is, if they don't disturb or damage it and if they seek professional help to locate, manage or remove it."
Mr Robson said he was driven to speak out against the risks of asbestos exposure after working with it for years.
"I've buried a lot of my workmates due to asbestos-related diseases," he said.
"When I started work as a 19-year-old unloading the raw asbestos that arrived in Sydney we were exposed to it. There was no awareness.
"Now we know about the dangers, but people have become very complacent. If you work with it all the time you absolutely get desensitised to the risks. That's why we call it the silent killer, because it takes such a long time for the disease to present itself.
"With mesothelioma, the average from diagnosis to death is 112 days, and people feel fine."
SafeWork NSW recommends using a licensed asbestos removalist to remove any amount of asbestos. A licensed asbestos professional must remove any amount of friable asbestos or more than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos.
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